All was quiet. Then a slow beating of a heart pierced through the dark veil that surrounded Daring Do. A weak and ragged groan broke the silence around her as she slowly opened her eyes. The light stung her vision, and she rubbed her eyes before letting them fully open. She gradually scanned the room before her, noting the green curtains by the window along with the sterile area surrounding the bed she laid in. Daring tilted her head slightly before closing her eyes and going back to her thoughts.

She didn’t remember much. The last memory she had was walking up to somepony before passing out. Her eyes shot open wide as she realized that it was Princess Celestia. A knocking at the door echoed in the far right corner of the room; she turned and focused on the entrance. Cautiously, she looked to her left. A gleam of light caught her eye, and she saw the daggers she had received from Roughneck sitting on the counter next to her. Moving her hoof over to the right blade, she brought it to her side, hiding it underneath her bed sheets before announcing in a weak voice, “C-come in.”

The door opened in a gentle manner with a familiar face peeking out from the edge of the frame. “Well good morning, Daring Do.” She sighed, thankful that it was Princess Celestia. She loosened the blade in her hoof, sliding it back to the counter and putting it back in its sheath.

“Hello Princess. It’s good to see you,” Daring said, a faint smile covering the frown she’d had before.

“I am glad to see that you’re awake,” Celestia said in her regal voice. She bore a calm yet happy expression as she gazed at Daring.

Daring Do herself was surprised to see the Princess looking so relaxed. She couldn’t understand why, but thought that this was just her way of appearing cool and collected, rather than worrying other ponies. As the Princess of the Sun walked into the room, another pony followed behind her, who Daring recognized as Princess Luna.

“It is good to see that you are conscious once again, Daring Do,” the Princess of the Night said in a quiet and gentle voice, moving to her sister’s side.

She rubbed the back of her head, a frown forming on her lips as the memories of her fallen comrades came rushing back. Her frown quickly disappeared, to be replaced with a smile instead. “Yeah, I had something to deal with. Something that I need to tell you two about.”

Both sisters looked to one another before letting their focus return to her. “When our messengers returned without you, they reported to us that you were nowhere to be found. Where did you go, Daring?” Celestia asked, her tone almost too calm for her liking.

“I was busy with an assignment that I at first thought you gave to me. Although I later learned that it wasn’t you two who had given me my task.”

“And who was this pony that recruited you to their cause when we were in desperate need for you?” Luna asked, raising an eyebrow at the prospect of somepony else calling for her help.

“That… is something I’d like to know. But I can tell you this. I went after the creature that you and my friends had to deal with from some time ago.” Her eyes darted to both of the princesses; who bore shock on their muzzles.

“The Xenomorph… did you bring it back?” Celestia murmured. Her eyes were lowered into slits, and her mood had instantly changed from a calm and serene expression to a hard and fearful glare.

Daring shook her head, catching a glimmer of worry in Celestia’s eyes until she spoke. “No. It was killed in the explosion after we found it being studied by a group of ponies working for a company called ‘Neighland Industries.’” Her eyes closed as Black Arrow, Roughneck and Crystal Rune reappeared in her thoughts. She dismissed the images before asking, “Have you ever heard of them before?”

Both alicorns looked to each other again, with Luna returning her gaze to Daring. “I believe that we have heard talk of this company, but my sister and I know little about them.”

Celestia turned her attention to Daring once more before asking, “Did you find out why they were studying the Xenomorph?”

“No. We weren’t able to gather any information as to why they wanted it. All I can tell is that they wanted this ‘Xenomorph’ creature for nefarious reasons.”

Celestia looked away, her frown deepening as she closed her eyes. She opened them, asking, “Did you ever discover who is leading this company?”

Daring nodded. “His name is Bishop Neighland.”

“And did you ever meet him?” Celestia turned her gaze back on Daring, who looked away.

“Yeah… I met him. He’s not a pony you would want to cross.” A dirty and mucky feeling of mud returned, Bishop’s uncaring gaze met her own while his guards pinned both her and Roughneck to the ground as he told them of how precious this monster was to him. “We didn’t exactly meet in the best of circumstances.”

“And what of the other ponies with you?” Luna spoke this time. Her eyes remained fixed on Daring as she awaited her response.

She felt her heart ache from this question, remembering all too well what happened to her newfound friends. “There were four others...” Daring felt tears begin to form at the edge of her eyes, closing them quickly before any escaped. “None of them made it.”

Celestia got up from her seat and moved over to the window. Her mouth moved like she was muttering something, her eyes portraying somepony that was in pain at the loss of more life. Daring continued. “That wasn’t all I saw.” Celestia looked over her shoulder. Daring waited until she had the sisters’ attention. “There was something else that was responsible for my friends’ death. It wasn’t the Xenomorph, but a hunter that didn’t come from this planet.”

“Another creature?” Luna murmured, her eyes darting between Daring and Celestia.

“Yes… it was more advanced than any other civilization that I have seen. It had energy-like weapons and could turn invisible with this wristwatch-like object on its arm,” Daring said. The two regal alicorns listened with great interest. She knew how crazy she must have sounded, but judging by the shocked expressions of the princesses, she didn’t think they doubted her story.

The two sisters turned to face one another, both sharing a few words until returning their gazes back to Daring. “So this creature… was different from the Xenomorph. And considering that this creature seems to pose just as much as a threat as the Xenomorph, we must know: is it still on the loose?” Celestia asked, her eyes never leaving Daring as she awaited her answer.

“The creature is dead. I personally saw to that.”

Hearing this, both sisters exhaled the breath they both had been holding. Seeing the sheaths on the desk, Luna asked, “And I was curious as to why you have those two daggers next to you. Who do those belong to, if I may ask?”

Her eyes glimmered for a moment, before Daring closed them once more. She opened them, holding back tears for the friends had she lost. “As for these daggers...” She waved to them with a hoof. “They belonged to one of my teammates. His name was Roughneck.”

It was quiet for a small portion of the time, the only sound being the breeze of the wind as it entered through the window. “I am sorry to hear that,” Celestia murmured.

Daring looked up to see that Celestia was struggling to hold her emotions in. It must’ve been hard to care so strongly for all her subjects. When one or more died, it must have felt as though she had lost one of her own foals. However, she managed to take each loss in stride and press onward.

“Sister.” Luna broke the silence, moving her gaze to her older sibling. “I believe the others will need to hear what has transpired.”

“But-”

“Yes, I understand you do not want to get them involved in this.” The younger alicorn nuzzled her sister gently before continuing. “But we have to take all necessary actions if we are to confront this ‘Bishop Neighland’.”

Celestia looked up before nodding. “Yes. I shall prepare a message for them.” A green flash of light burst in front of the two sisters. Celestia encased it in an golden yellow aura before reading its contents. Her eyes widened with interest before looking up and saying, “It appears that they shall be coming to us. They said they’ll be here on the next train from Ponyville with some.... unsettling news.”

“Unsettling news?” Luna moved her gaze to the scroll, her eyes darting across the message sent by the Element Bearers. “They do not seem to explain what is so troubling.”

“I do not know as well, sister. But from how quickly this message was sent to us, I believe something startling has taken place.” Looking over to Daring, she said, “We shall leave you to recover for a little more time. After they arrive, we shall send somepony to come and get you.”

She nodded and watched the two sisters take their leave, closing the door as they left. Daring looked around the room before sighing. Laying her head down on the pillow, she closed her eyes, images from the journey playing through her mind again. Daring shook them off, letting sleep finally take her.

A single blue light lit buzzed in a dark room with Nenne Seion seated upon a chair. Her left eye was closed as she stared down a microscope, an emotionless expression almost too obvious upon her muzzle. How long she had spent in here was hardly a concern at this point. There was too much to do and little time she could waste. As she stared a pencil floated in her aquamarineish gray aura. The sound of it scribbling was close as she could get to music, figuratively of course, but she enjoyed it all the same.

‘Have to mark down each variable. The adhesion of this experiment must be one-hundred percent perfect. No errors. No mistakes.’ None could be made. Each step had to be as precise as she had planned it. ‘If I want the cells to survive I have to configure the reaction to my specifications and make sure that the bonding process isn’t disturbed.’ She twisted the coarse focus on the arm before she did the same to the fine focus. A sudden burst of light exposed her back and illuminated her cornflower bluish gray mane and tail, the persian bluish gray highlights she had also lit up. She glanced over her shoulder and murmured, “Oh… it’s just you.”

“You sound like you’re annoyed that I’m here, Dr. Nenne.”

She rolled her eyes at the stallion behind her. “What are you here for, 'Dr. Nerve'? I’m busy with a project at the moment.” Nenne turned back to the microscope before she continued, “And why don’t you just use your real name instead? You know I’m not going to tell anypony else.”

Dr. Nerve chuckled as he said, “You know how much effort Bishop Neighland has put into keeping my identity from my group a secret? They can’t know what I’m involved in.”

“Of course not. Otherwise that would ruin the master plan of his so called, ‘The Purge’.” Nenne scoffed and shook her head.

It was quiet for a moment until Dr. Nerve spoke again. “Why do you despise Bishop Neighland so?”

Nenne chuckled and turned around to fully face the stallion standing behind her. “Why? Well if you haven’t noticed already then I’m not that surprised that his loyal puppy dog is so blind.” Her frown deepened when she heard him snicker. She swiveled the chair back to the microscope but resumed, “what will happen when he get’s what he wants? Do you think there’s room for us in his grand scheme? I’ve seen his type before. As soon as they have what they desire everypony else becomes obsolete; mere tools for a madpony to play around with until he finds no more use for his experiments.”

A laugh echoed behind her, Nenne folding her ears as her frown deepened. “You’ve seen his type before? That’s almost too hysterical. What kind of idea makes you believe that he’s really going to do such a thing like that? Surely you must feel some sympathy for a half-breed like hi--”

She stood up and walked straight up until Nenne was mere inches away from Nerve’s muzzle. “Don’t you dare try and compare me to somepony like him! You have no idea what I’ve been through.” Her gray aquamarine eyes were filled with an intensity that could scare a Manticore. “What gives you the right to speak to me like I don’t know anything about being a half-breed. None! Because you weren’t born with parents from different nations. You have no idea what my mother and father had to go through. What I’ve been through!” Her glare met azure blue eyes behind glasses before she turned away from him.

Nenne heard a forced cough before his footsteps echoed at the door. “Well… I am sorry you feel that way.” The door closed shut before she sighed and rubbed her temple.

“What right does he have to try and compare me to Bishop? There is none.” Nenne took a few steps before she sat back down in her chair. She breathed in and held her breath before she exhaled. ‘I know one thing, though. If these experiments… if these specimens escape then I will not be there to share the responsibility if Bishop screws all of this up. The moment he does… I am turning my back and not even taking a glance back at the mess he’ll make.’

Celestia’s sun had risen to its peak in the sky, shining its warm light across the land below. However, there was a faint object floating above an island. Inside the ship, a clawed hand grabbed a mask, bringing it over its face and securing it. The hunter looked to its other brothers, tilting its head as it watched its angrier sibling unsheathe the gauntlet blade, running a hand over the top of it.

He clicked to the hunter, and the younger brother growled and took a step forward. A hand grabbed his shoulder, and he glanced at their other sibling. He unsheathed a sword from his left side and pointed to a being on the handle of his blade’s guard, then clenched his hand into a fist at the consequence of committing an improper act during the hunt.

It was a moment until the younger sibling looked away, nodded slowly and pushed him aside with his shoulder. The wiser brother turned his attention to their leader, shaking his head. The lead hunter kept his gaze on the younger brother for a moment, then looked away and headed to one of the holes leading to a smaller compartment. Sitting down in a chair, he pressed a few buttons and looked over his shoulder to see the hatch above him fold and close the top of this pod.

Returning his gaze to the array of buttons below, he pressed a couple more. The small carrier shook as the engines turned on. Clicking in satisfaction, he pulled a lever back and lurched back as the pod shot out from the ship, two others accompanying the first one and flying down to the island. The hunt now had officially begun.